FSC 63
May 2014 saw the 63rd edition of FSC, held in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, after the country's first win in the preceding edition (achieved by Eleni Foureira and her song "Anemos agapis"). Estonia won for the first time in 33 editions thanks to Grete Paia and her song "San Sebastiano". Overall, 33 countries participated in this edition: Czech Republic returned after an one-edition absence, Albania, Belgium, Serbia and Spain however have withdrawn from FSC 63. The Host City The Host city for this FSC-edition is Thessaloniki, also called Salonica, the 2nd largest city in Greece and the capital of the geographic region of Greek Macedonia. The city's name came from the name of a princess, Thessalonike of Macedon, the half sister of Alexander The Great, so named because of her birth , on the day of the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Crocus Field (a battle in 'the Third Sacred War' , 353/352 BCE). The city of Thessaloniki today has a population of ca. 325.000 , while the Thessaloniki Urban/Metropolitan Area has a population of around 1 million, making it the 5th largest and most populated city-region in the Balkans. Thessaloniki, is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub for the rest of South-Eastern Europe. The city center, divided into districts, is characterized by its many historical buildings, arcades, laneways and distinct architectural styles such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco which can be seen on many of its buildings. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece & the Balkans . Thessaloniki is also a very popular tourist destination in Greece and is very highly regarded in the world tourist industry. The Venue The host venue for FSC May 2014 is the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, a centre for the performing arts in Thessaloniki. It opened in the year 2000, on land donated by the Greek state. The complex has two main buildings: M1, with an auditorium that seats 1400; and M2, in more contemporary style by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, with a number of smaller performance spaces. The purpose of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall construction was to provide a contemporary cultural and conference center of international standards, with the capacity to host various events, including concerts (Thessaloniki is the seat of two symphony orchestras, the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra '' of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.) ballet, theatre & opera, cultural and art expositions.'' The Hosts Anna Vissi (born in Cyprus) , is a famous recording artist and actress. She studied music at conservatories & performed much locally, before moving to the professional scene, in Athens, Greece in 1973. She established herself in the recording industry by winning the Thessaloniki Song Festival in 1977. She has had a long and successful music career that has spanned almost four decades - and has won numerous awards for her work . She is considered one of Greece’s top female artists of the last 40 years . She took part in ESC 2006 for Greece (9th) . For the winter season 2010–11, Anna Vissi teamed up with Sakis Rouvas for a concert series, at Athinon Arean concert hall in Athens, called ‘Face2Face’. Sakis Rouvas (born in Corfu) is a Greek pop-singer, film, theatre, and television artist, model, businessman and former pole vaulter. He began a musical career in 1991, as one of Greece's first pop performers, popularizing Western music . His vocals, complex choreography , costumes, & technological advancements have been credited with transforming music videos , and live performances . In the early 1990s , Rouvas won the Thessaloniki Song Festival . He has won many music awards - and is considered one of Greece’s most influential celebrities. He took part for Greece in ESC 2004 (3rd) and 2009 (7th). In winter 2010–11, Sakis teamed up with Anna Vissi for the ‘Face2Face’ concerts. The Show The Results The Winner Grete Paia - San Sebastiano: